


Beneath the Stars

by DaMidnighter



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hoshi Meguri (IDOLiSH7), Gen, M/M, hoshimeguri spoilers go read it if you haven't, more a retrospective than story but I tried
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:15:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21926554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaMidnighter/pseuds/DaMidnighter
Summary: Lazu's life had a single purpose, a singular meaning he'd always strived to fulfill. Through both better times and hardships, Carnelian was ever on his mind.
Relationships: Carnelian & Lazu (IDOLiSH7), Carnelian/Lazu (IDOLiSH7)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	Beneath the Stars

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Moooomoo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moooomoo/gifts).



All his life he had watched over his prince, his king - from afar, from close, but never too close. To protect and serve the Alban heir was his purpose and duty, one he wholeheartedly and tirelessly labored to fulfill. He was a shadow, an instrument for Carnelian to use as he willed.

But having basically grown up together, Lazu sometimes found himself troubled with… personal feelings. He tried to do away with them, banish such unprofessional behavior from his being. He existed only for his king, not anyone else and especially not for himself, so the selfish urges had to go. ..and yet, they wouldn't. Time and again a distant yearning would rear its head. He saw the unburdened people around them laugh and wanted to bring a smile to Carnelian’s face as well, be the reason he was beaming. He saw Carnelian troubled and wanted to comfort him. He saw Carnelian suffer under his duties and wanted to take him away from it all.

But he couldn't, it was not his place to let such ugly desires take root; and so he kept removing such despicable thoughts and aimed to better devote himself to his duty once more.

***

Seeing Carnelian make friends with Coda was… suffocating. On some level Lazu wanted to be happy for them; his prince was never so carefree and happy as with his friend. But Coda got everything he had secretly desired. Play and joke and fool around with the person most dear to him... His jealousy and envy grew each time the two met until he very nearly couldn't bear it. And as he watched from the shadows, without ever knowing it himself, his dear Carnelian drove a thick rusty nail through Lazu’s heart.

“I want to join you on your travels!” the young prince sounded more excited than Lazu could remember having ever heard him. Desperate for approval and freedom. So hopeful to leave his caged misery… Lazu was overcome with conflicting emotions. Joy to witness a Carnelian so filled with hope… But such consuming fear and grief - he might lose the light of his life. Be left behind in the darkness of Alba’s never-ending nights, never again to stand by his liege’s side.

He  _ had  _ to act.

"This is what's best for both his highness and Alba", Lazu thought, "it is my duty to protect my prince even if it might temporarily displease him", repeated like a mantra over and over until he almost believed it himself. But for a long time, Carnelian's sadness hurt him even more than usual, a sting deep in Lazu's soul.

And the king made it all worse, forcing his son to bear witness to sights most adults found hard to stomach. Even Lazu, trained to not let anything faze him, was slightly unnerved by the horrors of a true battlefield. For months after the horror was forever imprinted into their minds, Carnelian would wake up from his restless sleep, screaming in terror. His suffering tormented Lazy more than witnessing their war for sunlight had. He took it all as a reminder he was yet too inexperienced, his heart too soft to ensure he could protect his prince. He had to be better than this. He  _ had  _ to fulfill his  _ purpose.  _

***

For a brief moment, Lazu wasn't sure how to react when Carnelian revealed he heard the voice of the Star Sphere shard. An inanimate, non-sentient object communicating with a person was… Not without its concerns, as special as the shard was. But as his liege did not seem to have lost his mind and rather gained new determination and goals, Lazu welcomed the change. He questioned no order and enacted his king’s will. Radical as the ultimate objective was, Lazu had sworn to never fail Carnelian again, no matter the cost. Heeding his liege’s will as their plan reached its final stages he joined with lord Fang’s group. Despite trying to keep his distance, he ended up in closer interaction with people than he’d had in years besides devotion to his king. Despite this making it harder for him to sneak off to fulfill his objectives, he was determined to not let Carnelian down.

Strangely, several of his temporary traveling companions even seemed to grow attached to him. Lazu couldn’t quite figure out why, but it did make it easy for him to use that trust and grab Hope at a critical moment when his fighting prowess proved no match against both the strength of Fang and skills of Erin at the same time. If Lazu hadn’t been so certain every last of his thoughts was about his king and fulfilling his wish, he could have sworn Hope’s frightened gasp as Lazu’s blade pressed against his throat made him feel some semblance of guilt. Pleas and looks of disbelief on the sweet trusting face of Eterno’s young king most certainly failed to get to him as Lazu forced the boy through the chaos he’d enveloped Bestia in. Still, he felt strangely reassured upon reuniting with Carnelian aboard the Alban warship. The knowledge he had been doing exactly as he must was reaffirmed as his king shared his story with the captive guardian of Eterno’s Star Sphere shard. 

***

Yet in the end, as if a miracle had taken place, Lazu’s life turned almost upside down. He very nearly died, his past sin toward his liege was laid bare. ...But above it all, Carnelian was suddenly allowing him close - rather, wanted him close, not as an extension of his will but in a less official manner. Lazu felt troubled. It was all new and strange to attempt to allow himself thoughts that had been forbidden. Carnelian would ask for his opinion - but he had none to offer, it had not been his place to allow personal views to obstruct what his king wanted. Carnelian wanted him close - Lazu shuffled awkwardly, expected to stand beside his liege as if they were equal instead of a shadow beneath. Carnelian wanted to see him laugh - Lazu wasn't sure he had ever done so, how to connect the bubbling, joyous feelings inside that were finally allowed to go free with the basic sense of humor he'd picked up from observing other people for practical purposes.

They both were rather clumsy in friendly, leisure activities they suddenly had time for. Lazu could not recall Carnelian playing a game simply for the enjoyment since losing Coda. He himself having never engaged in such frivolous activities, trying to relax and simply ‘play’ was unexpectedly difficult at first. The two soon discovered chess to be a rather good match for their needs - its war strategy element was something familiar, but in less serious context than before.

Living away from the capital, they also learned to enjoy activities such as taking walks around the massive acres surrounding the royal vacation home - mansion, rather - that they had been residing at after the political upheaval following their return from Mistero. Sometimes while strolling they would discuss politics or other state matters; even if he wasn’t currently in charge, Carnelian could not simply suddenly stop being the statesman his whole life had been leading up to. Lazu had little insight to offer, but just being able to speak his mind seemed to make his liege feel more at ease. Often they would then trail off to more personal discussion - mostly about Carnelian. Though he tried to pull more out of Lazu as well, it took his right-hand man considerable effort to establish and express thoughts and needs based on personal preference rather than mindless devotion to his lord’s views (which now usually got him a good scolding). Slowly, together, both master and servant learned to share - no longer bound by those roles but as friends, closer to equals.

On cloudless days and nights the pair would often pause their walks and gaze at the stars. Think of their acquaintances, friends even, beyond the sky. Imagine wonders yet to be witnessed on the other stars. One day, Lazu would convince Carnelian that it was alright for him to travel to them, see for himself everything Coda and other travelers’ tales described in such vivid detail. One day they would go see the world together and Lazu could share what he had experienced with the person who would forever matter to him the most.

In the darkness lit only by scattered glowing Alban gems and the distantly shining stars, a tiny smile crept onto Lazu’s face.

**Author's Note:**

> MERRY CHRISTMAS LEX <3<3<3 You're the best and I had a blast writing through Kinktober with you, and I can't express how much I appreciate you reading all my stupid little stories and getting hyped about any random thing together, and listening to me ramble about kinky stuff and afsjaksfaslasd  
> ANYWAY... I wanted to write something for you... Remember when I. ~Stealthily~ asked what fic you would read first, if there was literally one for every ship and content available. ...8,,3  
> Thanks Shiina for beta read, and title ideas~


End file.
